Development of a computerized information retrieval system for Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., production

The value of computerized information retrieval systems in quantifying the effect of disease, identifying risk factors involved with specific diseases and enabling the effectiveness of disease control strategies to be accurately assessed are well recognized in agricultural production. This paper outlines the establishment of such a system for farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Ireland. The database currently holds information from 13 million fish from 11 sites over a 5-year period (34 years of production). Analysis of variance indicated that differences between sites were more significant than those between years. In relation to pancreas disease (PD), analysis of mortality data from two sites over a year in which both sites suffered an outbreak of PD supported the hypothesis that PD is primarily caused by an infectious agent.